"I Lost Three Pounds!"– An Interview with America's Next Top Model 9's Sarah

It’s no secret that I was pissed Sarah was sent home. It wasn’t because she was my favorite girl this season, but rather the reasoning behind her elimination. It irritates me when the judges seek out a reason to eliminate a girl. Sarah was sent home because she was “losing too much weight.” I still don’t understand it, but I did have a chance to talk with Sarah about it! I was surprised how well she took it.

RealityNewsOnline: Hey, Sarah! Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me today. Had you watched previous seasons of the show, and what factored into your decision to apply?

Sarah: Well, I applied for the show because my friends basically pushed me into it. I did watch the show, but I never thought that I would be a candidate for it, since I had no experience whatsoever, and I didn’t think that a girl like me would really be able to get to that level.

RNO: Did you expect being on the show to be so physically and emotionally draining, or did you go into it knowing it wouldn’t be a walk in the park?

Sarah: I knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, especially due to my lack of experience. The one thing I didn’t expect was that I’d become so close to every girl in the house. I mean, I knew I’d make friends, but if you told me that I’d be friends with every single girl there, I’d never believe you – but the friendships I made in the house were the one thing I walked away with that I never knew would happen.

RNO: Some of the other girls I interviewed earlier this season had mentioned you had no previous modeling experience. Did you think that would be a pro or a con when you were cast?

Sarah: Looking back, I’d say it was a pro. I didn’t think I was going to do so well because of it, but it turned out that a lot of the girls there didn’t have any experience. I really love acting, and I looked at modeling as a condensed form of acting – I got to play a character in a photo, instead of on the stage, so it was easy for me to adapt to it.

RNO: The whole losing weight thing… first off, how much weight did you lose?

Sarah: I think the judges were on crazy pills over the whole weight loss thing. I was the one looking at the scale when I weighed myself, and there really wasn’t much of a change. I lost three pounds! Seriously, when you remove three pounds from a 5 foot 10 ½ inch frame, there’s isn’t much of a difference! I think the difference came because I was carrying myself differently. I learned how to stand up straight and how to angle myself, plus I really changed the way I dress as well, which made my body look thinner, instead of the big sweatshirts I used to wear.

RNO: Do you think it was fair for the judges to eliminate you because they felt you were losing too much weight to be considered a plus-sized model? It seemed to me like they just wanted a reason to get rid of you!

Sarah: I’m really not sure. To be honest, I doubt that it was their main reason for getting rid of me. I was still close to my original size, but I think it was the fact that I was between a “normal model” and a plus-sized one. I know that I had issues on the show fitting into a category, and I think the judges felt that if I won, it wasn’t very clear to them where I’d fit in within the industry. Plus, I guess I just wasn’t spectacular enough!

RNO: Point blank, do you think it’s possible for a plus-sized girl to ever win this competition? Why or why not?

Sarah: Definitely! Fashion is always changing. I use this analogy a lot, but when Twiggy first came into the fashion industry, it was a revolution. Nobody ever thought that a skinny girl like her could be a model. Fashion is such a huge scope, and very unpredictable. I never thought leggings would come back, and now I see people with them on all the time. I thought I escaped Spandex, but it’s back! A plus-sized girl could most definitely win.

RNO: Switching topics, are you surprised to hear all the negative things that Bianca has to say to the camera, especially considering Heather, or was she that way in front of the girls as well?

Sarah: Bianca really is a great person, and I’m sure that will surprise a lot of people. She said what was on her mind at all times, and not just to the camera. Of course there were times when we would all be mad and at one another’s throats, so I wasn’t surprised she said things to the camera, but I’m sure that was her reality at the time, and not the way she really felt about Heather. That’s why I feel so badly about what was shown when I talked bad about Lisa. I really like Lisa, and was just making a comment at the time.

RNO: Is there anything you have seen on the show that has shocked you because you didn’t realize it was going on or being said?

Sarah: There was the one scene from the clip show when all the girls were in the pool bonding. I was like, “Where was I for that?” I was a little surprised at the way my insecurity was shown. It’s really not that prevalent. I’m not that way at all, especially when they showed me at panel watching my clip from the video shoot. I wasn’t holding my head because I was ashamed - I was in shock that it was ME in a music video!

RNO: Standing with Chantal in front of the judges, how confident were you that you would be the one staying, and was it really a shock for everyone to see Chantal in the bottom two?

Sarah: Oh, I knew it was me the second they called Jenah and I was standing next to Chantal. I even made a face. Chantal is a model to the core and so sweet – she’s not conceited at all, which is the way they are portraying her. She has wanted this since she was a little girl, and definitely knows how to model, so I knew I’d be the one going home.

RNO: Since your elimination, have you been showing all your friends how to do the wall slide and the crawl?

Sarah: I’m from a very small town in Massachusetts, so my friends at home can’t believe it was me doing those moves . Now I’m living very close to NYC, so it’s a lot more real to my friends here. I have a lot of theater friends that always ask me how to do things, and how Tyra was, etc. Then I have my other group of friends that were also English majors, that think it’s nice, but want to just go to the library!

RNO: It seems like Heather is the girl to beat right now. Did anyone feel like she was getting special treatment because she was working with a disability, or do you think she is earning all the kudos?

Sarah: Heather is just so beautiful, and has a good insight as to what looks good on film because she’s a photographer. She’s aware of her surroundings, but it’s not like the judges never gave her any kind of negative feedback. I wouldn’t say that she got special treatment, but I would say that she was treated differently. That being said though, she definitely earned all the credit she was getting!

RNO: What are your plans from this point on? Do you think you will continue to pursue modeling?

Sarah: I would love to continue modeling. I’m actually surprised at the response I’ve been getting from people on my appearance on the show. I really didn’t think I’d fit in on the show, and applying was tough, but I’m so excited to see what’s going to happen next.

RNO: What are some of your other goals and aspirations, and what do you plan on doing if modeling doesn’t turn out to be the way you go?

Sarah: I would love to be an actress, since that’s what I went to school for. I’ve wanted to be an actress since I was 11. Being on the show really did give me some exposure, but we all know how hard it is to make it in that business, so I’m just going to hope for the best.

RNO: Was I the only one that noticed Enrique walk right by Heather when she was being carried off the video shoot?

Sarah: Ha! I saw that as well! It was so weird too, since Enrique was such a nice guy. To be fair though, I don’t think Heather had passed out at that point. I think she was just struggling to get off the set. It was scary though, since she was throwing up, gagging, coughing. I honestly thought she was going to die!

RNO: Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show?

Sarah: I really want to thank everyone for not making fun of me or making me feel like an idiot or a dork for being on the show. I really did have a blast, and I can’t wait to see what happens next on the show, so keep watching!

RNO: Thanks, Sarah!

Phil Kural is an office manager at a dental office, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. You can send feedback to him at pkural@gmail.com.